


Not a Dummy

by aquartertil



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alexei learning English, Bitty doesn't make pie in this! Wow, Could be read as Alexei/Bitty/Jack, Gen, Language Barrier, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-19 21:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10648359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquartertil/pseuds/aquartertil
Summary: This season was particularly rough on all of the Falconers. They got so close to playoffs (even with many of the players being injured) only to lose their chance at the wildcard spot in overtime. So maybe Tater’s presence in the apartment should have been expected but not the book in his hands. The title of which read English Grammar for Dummies.





	Not a Dummy

**Author's Note:**

> There is a mention of some people being rude to Tater for his accent and grammar. Bitty's comments about it are based off of my personal experiences.

When Bitty walked into Jack's apartment one summer afternoon, he didn't expect to find Alexei Mashkov to be sitting on the couch. But maybe he should have. It was the off season and ever since Jack came out to the team, he's become much closer with both Tater and Snowy, the only other queer people on the team. With Jack and Tater being closer in age, they bonded a little more than with Snowy who had a wife and wasn’t planning on coming out until retirement. But Snowy has been really supportive towards both Jack and Tater and has helped Jack to become part of the Falconer’s team and family. They were doing really well and getting closer.

 

This season was particularly rough on all of the Falconers. They got so close to playoffs (even with many of the players being injured) only to lose their chance at the wildcard spot in overtime. So maybe Tater’s presence in the apartment should have been expected but not the book in his hands. The title of which read _English Grammar for Dummies_. Now, Bitty was quite confused about this. Tater had been living in the US for almost 4 years and had learned a good bit of English by this point. He seemed quite comfortable with his grasp of the language and sure, he had an accent, but so did half of the NHL. This was really concerning to Bitty.

 

“Afternoon, Tater. What’re you up to?” Bitty asked trying his best to sound nonchalant.

 

“I am trying to learn English better.” Tater responded, pronouncing each word carefully and with a look of determination.

 

“I think you know it just fine, Tater. What made you get the book?"

 

“My grammar is no good. People say mean things so I learn now.” Tater looked quite sad while saying this. Bitty knew he been trying for years. So after hearing that, Bitty got rather upset.

 

“Who told you it was bad? Because you are doing real good, Tater!”

 

“No one. It is fine, Itty Bitty. I'm okay with it. It is nothing new. Promise.” The sad look on his face made Bitty itch to hug him. Or make him pie.

 

“That's the problem! It shouldn't be something you're used to. It's not fair to you! It takes years for people to learn a new language and honestly, more’n half this country can't even speak English that well. Trust me. I’m from the South.” Bitty tried to lighten the mood a little with his last comment, but Alexei was still dejected. Bitty was really starting to get annoyed. Sweet, joyful Tater looked so upset and Bitty knew it took something major to make that happen off ice.

 

“Thank you for saying this, but I have been in America for 4 years and was learning English before I even moved. I should be better at it than I am. No more people making fun of accent or grammar” Tater’s accent got thicker with the emotions he was feeling. There haven’t been many good memories surrounding learning English for him, Bitty knew.

 

“I understand, honey. I really do. You think moving from the south to up north was easy? People making you say stuff for their entertainment because your accent is weird or being ridiculed for not fitting the stereotype, or even when you do fit it, is something I got used to too. But that doesn't mean I had to like it and you don't either. If you want to learn for yourself that's one thing, but learning for other people is completely different.”

 

“What if it is both?”

 

“Well then, that's something else too, I guess.”

 

“I just don't want to feel stupid around people. Always being corrected, always being chirped. I know it is a joke, but sometimes it doesn't feel like one.” Bitty knew the Falconers would never be intentionally mean but sometimes the chirps get a little too close to home, especially after a bad loss or a stressful time like the team just went through.

 

“Having an accent apparently makes you stupid in this country. Like just because you don't pronounce the words the same way they do, you're inherently incapable of having intelligent things to say. It's a stereotype that all Southerners are stupid just because of the way we talk. And many times that stereotype applies to immigrants too and that ain’t right.”

 

“I tried when I first got here. Billet family is nice and help me learn. I listened a lot and didn't speak much. I had many feelings and thoughts I could not say because I didn't know words for them. Was the worst feeling. I am in NHL for years and still cannot say many feelings because I am a big Russian man. It is not okay to have feelings and is even harder to be bisexual too. Like you say, stereotype.”

 

“I know, sweetheart. But you've got me and Jack, Snowy, and all of the Falconers. And you know management would back you 100 percent if you wanted to come out.”

 

“Yes, I know. But I am scared. Scared for what they would do to Mama and Zia and Sasha. Scared the government would take them. I can't do it. I can't.” Alexei started to look panicked and had tears in his eyes. Bitty would destroy the government or even the world for him but all he could do was hug Alexei. And for now that was enough.

 

When Jack came home from the gym two hours later, he found Bitty and Alexei asleep on the couch. As he laid a blanket over the two of them he found the _English Grammar for Dummies_ book and looked at it sadly. He put it next to his own on the bookshelf and looked at his best friend hoping everything would be alright. He went to the kitchen to start dinner and Bitty woke up not too much later.

 

“Do you think he'll be okay?” Jack asked Bitty. He knew this situation was much more serious than just some grammar problems.

 

“Yeah. I think so. It'll take some time and a lot of support but he'll be just fine.” Bitty said, really appreciating the concern in Jack's eyes.

 

“I'm glad.” Jack kissed Bitty’s forehead. “Go wake up Tater. It's time for dinner.”

 

Jack watched Bitty walk into the living room and when he heard Tater’s soft rumbles as he woke up, he smiled. Everything will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So after being in this fandom for a bit I've realized that no one really ever writes Tater speaking in full sentences and so I wrote one where he did because I was really tired of him being the stereotypical happy, dumb Russian all the time. He has to have more emotions than that so yeah. Also I am Georgia and really tired of people writing Bitty in a way that I have never heard another person speak in my entire life. PSA: "y'all" is not used for one person! Thanks. Have a good day and I hope you like this! Much Love


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